BEHV 2018 CHAPTER 3 TB NOTES

Learning Outcomes

  • Outline and critically evaluate:

    • Adler’s individual psychology

    • Carl Jung’s analytic psychology

    • Karen Horney’s approach to personality

  • Consider splits between Freud and his followers.

Key Themes

  • Disagreements between Freud and followers.

  • Adler’s individual psychology:

    • Inferiority complex

    • Birth order implications.

  • Carl Jung’s analytic psychology:

    • Structures within the psyche.

  • The psychology of Karen Horney.

  • Treatment approaches by Adler, Jung, and Horney.

  • Evaluation of the theories of Adler, Jung, and Horney.

Introduction

  • All three theorists share the view on the significance of unconscious motivation in behavior.

  • The discussion will recognize divergences from Freud without a unifying theory.

  • Freud's early work received significant acclaim; his stubborn demeanor led to conflicts with colleagues.

  • Notable figures who split from Freud:

    • Alfred Adler: Originally supportive but resigned due to Freud's intolerance.

    • Carl Jung: Interested in broader human aspirations and spirituality; disagreed with Freud's theories.

    • Karen Horney: Critiqued Freud's views on women's psychology, positioning herself as a feminist figure in psychoanalysis.

Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler

  • Inferiority Complex:

    • Began with the notion of organ inferiority; extended to psychological and social inferiority stemming from childhood.

    • Adults strive for superiority to compensate for inferiority feelings; unhealthy coping results in inferior/superior complexes. -** Three main areas affecting personality:

    • Parental influence and sibling dynamics shape development.

    • Styles of life established in early childhood influence interpersonal interactions and coping mechanisms.

  • Birth Order:

    • Significantly affects personality development; different roles in the family reshape individual psyche.

Concepts in Adler's Individual Psychology

  • Social Interest:

    • A natural inclination to cooperate for societal benefit; essential for healthy personality development.

    • Lack of social interest signifies unhealthy personality traits and behaviors.

  • **Personality Types: **

    • Ruling Type: Power-seeking, emotionally manipulative.

    • Avoiding Type: Seeks to evade problems; passive.

    • Getting Type: Dependent, relies on others for assistance.

    • Socially Useful Type: Cooperative, contributes positively to others.

  • Adler’s Treatment Approach:

    • Focus on understanding childhood experiences and mistaken lifestyles.

    • Emphasizes rekindling social interest.

Carl Jung's Analytic Psychology

  • The Psyche: Comprised of various structures:

    • Ego: Center of consciousness.

    • Personal Unconscious: Contains suppressed memories and experiences.

    • Collective Unconscious: Collective instincts shared across humanity, including archetypes.

  • Archetypes: Universal symbols influencing behavior and interpersonal relations (e.g., persona, shadow, anima, animus).

  • Psychological Types:

    • Extraversion and introversion are foundational; further delineated into four functions: sensing, thinking, feeling, and intuiting.

    • Mental Health: Imbalance in psyche leads to mental illness; treatment through analysis of dreams and personal experiences.

Karen Horney's Approaches

  • Rejected Freud's sexual emphasis, focusing on societal influences on psychological development.

  • Basic Anxiety: Stemming from inconsistent parental relationships, leading to neurotic personalities.

  • Neurotic Needs:

    • Horney outlined ten neurotic needs that manifest compulsively and rigidly in neurotic personalities, often in response to basic anxiety.

    • **Three Personality Types: ** Compliant, Aggressive, Detached.

    • Healthy individuals can flexibly adapt various strategies as situations demand.

  • Defence Mechanisms: Horney expanded Freud's list introducing new mechanisms like:

    • Blind spots

    • Compartmentalisation

    • Rationalisation

  • Critique of Freud: Challenged ideas such as 'penis envy', emphasizing the social contexts shaping gender roles.

Evaluation of Theories

  • Adler:

    • Description, explanation, and applications largely helpful yet simplistic in some domains.

  • Jung:

    • Complex framework needing careful elucidation; contributory to understanding spirituality.

  • Horney:

    • Clarity in her descriptions and focus on interpersonal relationships useful for understanding neurosis and personality development.

    • Empowered feminist critiques against Freudian structures.

Final Assessment

  • The evolution of psychoanalysis from Freud to Adler, Jung, and Horney illustrates a shift towards recognizing human social context and relationships in personality development.

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